Residents of Upper East Cautioned on Food Poisoning

02-11-2010
The use of fake agro chemicals coupled with its misapplication by farmers in the Upper East Region has resulted in the death of 12 persons in the Bawku West, Talensi- Nabdam and Garu Tempane districts. In view of this unfortunate incidence, the Regional Coordinating Council in collaboration with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), Environmental Protection Agency and the National Disaster Management Authority (NADMO) among other collaborators had cautioned farmers in the region on the wrongful use of poisonous agro chemicals which are said to be the cause of deaths recorded in the past two week. The Upper East Regional Minister, Mark Owen Woyongo, who disclosed this in a press briefing at Bolgatanga, said a special task force to that effect, had been set up to monitor and control the wrongful use of chemicals in the region to avert any further calamity. According to Mr Woyongo, 12 deaths out of 74 cases in the three affected districts had so far been recorded since its discovery by officials from the regional health directorate. The task force he added had therefore been established to help save lives of people and animals as well, since they are all victims of the food poisoning. Mr Woyongo was not happy about the current turn of event, emphasising that his outfit would ensure that fake agro chemical dealers’ are apprehended and be made to face the full rigours of the law. He also cautioned people who import these toxic chemicals into the region and charged the security agencies at the region’s borders to step up their activities to clamp down on perpetrators. The Regional Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Ms Zenabu Wasai-king entreated residents of the region to be cautious of what they take as food through thorough washing. She also advised farmers to take into account chemicals that they use on their farms. As a matter of precaution Ms Wasai- King entreated farmers to read or seek information from any extension worker on the methods of application of the chemicals especially those that contain endo sulphar, though it is an approved chemical for use by farmers.
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